


A Leaf In The Stream Of Destruction

by Ellienerd14



Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: And Ken is no longer her bff, Background Panto X Silas, Bart and Panto are brotp goals, Because Bart suffers too much in the final, Canon Compliant, Love my murder daughter, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 12:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13235847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellienerd14/pseuds/Ellienerd14
Summary: "You have no reason to leave Wendimoor.""How did you know I was going to leave Wendimoor?" Bart asked. "I never said anything about leaving.""You have such sad eyes."-In which Bart and Panto get a chance to say goodbye before she returns to Blackwing.





	A Leaf In The Stream Of Destruction

The Boy that Panto had been talking about for days - the prophecy boy - had fixed things with a simple wave of his hand. The towering pile of bodies Bart had created vanished in a blink, leaving only the remains of the final battle between Panto and Silas' families. Guiltily, she looked away as Francis waved his hand again and the bloody scene vanished, people woke up and all the anger between the once warring families was seemingly gone.

"No more fighting," Francis said firmly, appearing behind her suddenly. "They weren't meant to be enemies but my parents kept shouting and I was scared. So, this happened. But no more."

"I think all I'm good at is fighting," Bart replied, watching the families hug and reunite. Her eyes drifted to Panto who was pulling a girl with the same pink hair into a hug whilst Silas watched fondly. He was happy at least. 

"Do you really want to go back to Blackwing?" Francis asked. "That place... it's cruel. They tried to steal me away. I was in the big sleep but I heard the shouts and the gunfire. Dirk used to tell me stories about how he was scared of them and how much he hated it there."

"We all hated it there," Bart said, "it's so boring. And Mr Priest - he was not a good man. No one there is good. Maybe there is no good in the world."

Francis touched her arm gently. "Then stay in my world. I can make it good for you."

"I was never meant for a fairy tale," Bart answered. "I'm a Holistic Assassin. Or a weapon.  Holistic people belong in Blackwing."

"Bart-"

"Bartine!" A different voice interrupted Francis, as Panto ran over, smiling. "It worked! Peace has been achieved in Wendimoor; I told you we would get a happily ever after."

Bart looked down at his clean shirt, with no trace of the bullets that had stolen his smile hours ago, and promptly burst into tears. She flung herself forward into his arms and curled into his - thankfully - unhurt chest. She was an assassin, she had seen countless people die, many at her own hand, but never a friend. Never someone who didn't deserve it. It was her fault he died, just like it was her fault Ken was at Blackwing. The universe wanted her to be alone, it seemed.

"Bartine... this is good news? Tell me, dear friend, why are you crying?"

"They don't remember what happened," Francis explained to her. "I don't want anyone to have nightmares; I know how bad they are."

Bart wrapped her arms around Panto and clung to her friend - her only friend it seemed - tightly. She had cost Panto not just his life, but Silas too, in her mission to escape her fate as a walking weapon. Holding onto him was enough to know she still had someone. (Apart from Ken, Bart hadn't been hugged since she was thirteen years old.)

"It's my fault. I didn't follow the universe. I could have helped, I could have stopped this. I'm so sorry." Her words came out muffled but Panto seemed to understand. He stroked her matted hair and whispered words of gentle comfort she didn't hear or understand. It helped her calm down a little but not enough that she stopped shaking. Or that the awful swirling feeling in her stomach went away.

"I forgive you Bartine, whatever it is, I forgive you," Panto reassured her, in his typical gentlemanly fashion, "look where we are. Happily ever after, like we planned."

She pulled away from the hug, wiping her blood stained face with the back of her sleeve. "I messed up. I'm not meant to be happy."

"Bartine, you helped me find my beloved again. You are a good person, I believe that truly." Panto wiped her eyes, smudging blood onto his fingertips. "You have no reason to leave Wendimoor."

"How did you know I was going to leave Wendimoor?" Bart asked. "I never said anything about leaving."

"You have such sad eyes." 

"That was pretty smart of you to work out Panto." Bart shrugged, chewing on her lip. It tasted metallic and she had no idea who's blood she was sucking on. "Goodbye, I guess."

He caught her by the shoulders as she tried to step past him. "Wait! Do you have to return to your world now?"

"I belong in Blackwing, Panto."

"No. We fought so hard to keep you away from that place. You said it was _terrible_." Panto had let go of her shoulders now but Bart didn't try and move away again. "Maybe the universe wants you to stay?" He sounded hopeful - a hope that she didn't share.

"The universe wants me to kill people Panto. That's my purpose. I used to think I was a leaf in the stream of creation but I'm not. I'm a weapon, armed and aimed at the mistakes in the world. I'm a leaf in the stream of destruction and I should have never floated here." Bart wrapped her arms around herself and shrugged. "So, I guess I'll go where the world needs me and kill some people."

"You are kind Bartine, you are good. I met you trying to save my world, that is not a coincidence, it's a sign we are meant to be friends."

Bart found the energy to give him one last smile before stepping away.

"Wait," Panto called. Bart waited and he caught up with her in a long stride. "Do you have to go now?"

"You got hurt because of me. I should go because when you're a leaf in the stream of destruction, other people get caught up. That's why it's my fault."

"There's a celebration tonight of unity. Stay for it, even if you must go tomorrow." Panto looked sincere. "We could dance again."

"I could stay for one more day. But I have to go back and find Ken and then we'll break out together."

Bart held onto the last bit of hope that maybe history wasn't repeating itself. Mr Priest had been her friend once but Ken wouldn't betray her or call Bart anything other than her name or make her do tests.

"Bartine, you are crying." Panto offered her an orange handkerchief. "Are you scared of going back?"

"I'm just really happy you're my friend."

 

* * *

 

Bart had to wash the blood off before she joined the celebrations. She scrubbed the dried blood and thick dirt out her hair, leaving the bath water a swirl dark red.

Someone had left a hairbrush on top of a pile of fresh clothes which she tossed to the side. They'd given her a choice of clothes but Bart didn't bother looking through it and pulled on the first outfit on the pile - a blue tunic with slightly too long dark pants to wear with it. Bart pulled her cowboy boots from earlier on and stepped out into the hallway.

Panto's house - maybe it was a palace, she wouldn't know - was full of interesting things. (Potential weapons, she thought out of habit.) It would be a nice place to stay - _if_ she was staying.

Which Bart wasn't going to do.

"Bartine," Silas called. He was stood at the other side of the corridor, and walked hurriedly towards her. Bart had a suspicion that Panto asked for him check up on her. "You look lovely."

"Yeah, the bath stuff is nice." She shrugged. "No more blood."

Silas nodded, although he looked uncomfortable. (He didn't like blood, Panto had mentioned before during one of his many rambles - a bad training accident.)

"The festival has already started, I was going to escort you outside."

"Cool." Bart followed him outside, half-listening to his voice as Silas rambled about his family.

The festival was decorated with hundreds of candles and songs she didn't know played. They could be from Weindmoor or from her world - she was lacking music knowledge equally for both. (She thought of Ken and the song he knew the words of and how that was so amazing; Bart missed him.)

Panto ran over when he spotted them. He kissed Silas quickly and they both smiled at each other, hopelessly in love. (Panto kept saying that's what he missed most about Weindmoor. Or _who_ he missed most.)

"So, I guess your Mom isn't being an asshole now?" Bart asked, blunt as usual. (It didn't matter because she wasn't staying, she reminded herself.)  

"Our parents are negotiating a treaty of peace," Silas answered. "We did it, _my love_."

"I could not have succeed without the help of you Bartine." Panto touched her arm gently. "Thank you."

"I'm good at killing people." Bart shrugged. "Hey, can we do the dancing now?"

Panto smiled and took her hand. "We may."

Silas shared an intimate and knowing look with him. "Try not to fall over, my love."

"We've practised."

 

* * *

 

Dancing without the bars in the way was just as fun and much easier. Weindmoor dancing had more structure and rhym to it but Panto happily twirled her around regardless of the other swaying couples.

Bart took a break during a slow song and watched as Silas and Panto swayed together in a circle, their faces so close together it was hard to tell if they were kissing or whispering to each other. Bart had a feeling they'd be happy whatever they were doing.

Bart rarely felt the cold but she pulled Silas' cloak closer around herself anyway. She knew what Blackwing was like and even now she couldn't forget the memories of being locked in solitary. That was much colder than the nighttime air of Weindmoor. Bart was shivering now; she blamed the cold because it made it easier to feel fearless.

A prince would have lots of cloaks, she decided, emptying Silas' pockets of pink nail vanish, curls of fancy paper and his gloves. (She kept the sweets. Princes would have a lot of those too.)

She had to go find Francis and go home - _no, not home_ but her dimension at least.

Bart disappeared into the night, not noticing how the love song had ended or that she was being followed.

 

* * *

 

Francis was sitting in the empty throne room, as if he'd been expecting her.

"Hello Bart."

"You can send me back now: I don't belong here."

"You're dressed like you belong here," Francis said; Bart dropped the 'borrowed' cloak onto the ground.

"Send me back?" She repeated.

"Bartine, wait!" Panto rushed in behind her. "You left without goodbye."

"You looked really peaceful."

Panto picked up Silas' cloak and brushed it off. "I will miss you terribly, my friend."

Bart looked at her feet. "Yeah, me too."

"Before you go," Panto said quickly, as if he worried she'd disappear in a blink, "take this."

He passed her a necklace - a pink rock that was shaped like the cool Weindmoor moon.

"It brings great luck and joy," he explained.

"How do you know?" Francis asked. "I didn't make any charms."

"I found it the day I met Silas."

"If it reminds you of your boyfriend-" Bart tried to give it back but Panto pressed it into her palm and closed her hand around the necklace.

"Bart, I have Silas. I have already had all the luck and joy brought to my life. But if you're going to Blackwing with Mr Priest, I think you'll need this." Panto smiled but it was the sad kind.

"Thank you." Bart slipped the necklace into her pocket and pulled Panto into another hug.

She stepped away after the long embrace and disappeared before his eyes. In the space where she used to stand, Francis had a hand raised.

"Could she come back?" Panto asked him. "If Bartine wanted to?"

"I have no control over her dimension," Francis answered. "But-"

Panto was already leaving, holding back a half-sob. "I must find Silas."

 

* * *

 

Later, after Ken had walked out of Bart's room - she hated the word 'cell' - and the lights had snapped off, one by one, she pulled out the necklace from under her shirt.

It emitted a light, pink glow and if Bart needed anything in that moment - it was light.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic made me so emotional oops. 
> 
> Everyone gets to be happy in the final apart from Bart and she's my fav so I had to give her a little bit of happiness at least. 
> 
> Please comment! It would be very much appreciated. (And check out my other DGHDA fics!)


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